BBQ, Mermaid, Casbah 7/14

Saturday I started off by picking Sara up in National City and hitting up one the local mexican markets that have good pre-marinated carne asada. Got tomatos and serrano peppers to make my flame-roasted all-healing salsa that leaves you reinvigorated about the universe and your exact roll in it! Yeah, it's that good. Aks sumbody! Got Banjo Matt his bottle of Scoth-whiskey and we're off. Last year I went to Matt's B-Day BBQ was a blast and it was the same this year... booze, friends, food and lotsa fun... And, one cute-as-hell new baby Killian Patrick Strachota. Again, congrats Matt and Alysa!

Sara had mentioned that her friends Mermaid were playing at Kings Music store in Lemon Grove later. I remembered talking with Tim Pyles at the casbah a few days earlier and he mentioned getting a cd in from a local all-girl punk band that had this really cool, intricate artwork... the band was called Mermaid. Cool! Coincidence? Not. So we head over to Kings Music where they have a garage in the back that they turned into a venue. It reminded me exactly of what Cafe Mesopotamia (also in lemon grove in early 90s) was for me when I was in jr. high/high school going to hardcore shows. The crowd was young and exhilarated. The music excited them and they were not inhibited in showing it. It was a real treat for me having been hanging at all theses morose dive bars. It actually inspired me. Don't get me wrong, I love my local 21+ music venues, love 'em to death... but just haven't witnessed this raw display of enthusiasm in a really long time! Lack of alcohol maybe? Hmm... We got there in time to catch a song or two of The Fuggoffs. Was meeting people so didn't quite take 'em in. But when Mermaid hit the stage the kids went nuts. Most knew the words and were dancing to their punky grooves--oh yeah, and 90% of the crowd were dressed as zombies. Full make-up and all. I just didn't get the memo, otherwise I'm game. Mermaid do a bit of musical chairs instrument-wise and they pull it off nicely. Get these girls on a stage with mics and a soundman and we've got a show. Actually, someone already got that memo, they play with Vision of a Dying world, Crocodiles and DJ Kelly Alvarez @ Che Cafe tonight @ 8p.m. Dig on it!


(photo from Mermaid's MySpace. Abe asked me to add it.-rosey)
After that I headed over to casbah for Bartender's Bible et al... But Ray already covered that show for ya.. I'll just say that all the bands sounded great and I just can't get enough Bartender's... I was unabashedly standing in front singing (more like shouting) along to the entire set... sorry if I messed up anybody else's experience.

And... If Ray can discover that his middle name is actually Paul, Joseph, Peter, or one of them... This is now officially a blog of BIBLICAL proportions (roseMary, Abraham etc...)!

Lastly, this blogging thing is work! At least for me. Kudos to Rose for all her efforts to support local music. Can I get a what-what for Rose?! Actually just donate $$. Do it cabrones!

Best,
abraham

p.s. sorry no pix! Working on being more professional at this...